Forty-two percent of California’s workers in science, technology, engineering and math occupations were born in a foreign nation, according a recent analysis.
The American Immigration Council, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, studied the occupational, gender, educational and geographic distribution of foreign-born STEM workers in the United States, using 2015 survey data by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Nationally, about one-quarter of the nation’s STEM workforce is foreign-born, according to the report, “Foreign-born STEM Workers in the United States.” It has grown significantly in recent years, doubling from 11.9 percent in 1990 to 24.3 percent in 2015, according to the advocacy group, which studies immigration to the United States.
“The importance of foreign-born workers in STEM occupations cannot be overstated,” according to the report. “As the demand for STEM workers continues to increase, foreign-born STEM workers will play a key role in U.S. productivity and innovation.”
Other studies have found that the foreign-born are more likely than the native-born to obtain a patent — and that immigrants account for rising shares of U.S. patents in computing, electronics, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. More than 40 percent of companies in the Fortune 500 in 2010 were founded by an immigrant or the child of an immigrant.
Immigrants help native-born co-workers because their innovations boost the productivity and revenue of STEM-focused businesses, enabling employers to hire more workers, according to the American Immigration Council. One study of workplaces found that adding 100 foreign-born workers in STEM fields with advanced degrees from U.S. universities led to an additional 262 jobs for U.S.-born workers.
For instance, Tesla’s Elon Musk came to the U.S. in his 20s after growing up in South Africa and studying in Canada. Yahoo founder Jerry Yang reportedly knew only one English word when he moved from Taiwan at the age of 12. EBay founder Pierre Omidyar is a French-born Iranian-American.
While foreign-born workers make up a growing share of all STEM occupations, there is quite a bit of variation between fields, the new analysis found. They make up 39 percent of software engineers, 27 percent of computer programmers and 25 percent of computer systems analysts.
In engineering, foreign-born workers are most prominent in electrical and electronic engineering, making up 28 percent of the workforce. They represent 18 percent of workers in other engineering jobs.
In management positions, they are most abundant in computer and information systems, representing 21 percent of managers.
Twenty-nine percent of America’s physicians are foreign-born.
Of the nation’s 50 states, California ranks second in its proportion of foreign-born STEM workers — one percentage point lower than New Jersey, where 43 percent are immigrants. New York was the third-ranking state, with 29 percent. In 16 other states, foreign-born workers make up 20 percent or more of all STEM workers. The states with the lowest percentage of foreign-born workers were Wyoming, with 0.8 percent; South Dakota, 4; Mississippi, 5; and North Dakota, 5.
When the health and social science occupations are added to the California STEM analysis, foreign-born workers make up a slightly smaller share of our workforce: 37 percent. These professionals include physicians, dentists, veterinarians, opticians and pharmacists, as well as technologists, therapists and technicians in these fields.
The study also found that the nation’s foreign-born STEM workers are more highly educated than their U.S.-born co-workers. Almost half, or 47 percent, of foreign-born STEM workers had five or more years of college, compared to 26 percent of all STEM workers.
As demand grows in these fields, so will the need for an educated workforce. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that STEM occupations will increase about 13 percent from 2012 to 2022, compared to 11 percent projected for all occupations.
“While increasing the number of native-born Americans in STEM fields is critical,” the report concluded, “foreign-born STEM students and workers may still be needed if the United States is to be prepared for future labor needs and excel globally.”
